Feb. 22, 1997: Hello, Dolly!

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Feb. 22, 1997: Hello, Dolly!

1997: The world learns of the existence of Dolly the sheep, the world's first successfully cloned mammal.

Dolly was cloned at the Roslin Institute in Scotland. Researchers used somatic-cell nuclear transfer with a cell taken from a 6-year-old ewe. Dolly was named for Dolly Parton, the buxom country-western singer, because a mammary cell was used for the cloning process.

Dolly's appearance touched off a debate among scientists, ethicists and others regarding the idea of man playing God and interfering with the natural order of things. The bottom-line issue here is the possibility of cloning a human being, an idea rejected by virtually all of the scientific fraternity, including the researchers who produced Dolly.

Dolly's premature death in 2003 raised further issues. She was euthanized after developing a lung infection common to sheep but usually found in older animals. A post-mortem examination determined that she was, in fact, prematurely aged at the time of her death. This, naturally, led to additional questions about the pitfalls of cloning.

Nevertheless, the technical success of Dolly's cloning has led to the replication of other large mammals, including horses and cattle. Advocates see large-scale cloning as a way of preserving endangered species and producing lab animals on the cheap, although animal conservationists say the value in protecting species is overstated, owing to the loss of genetic diversity.